LITWIN’S LIST OF MUST-HAVE KITCHEN ITEMS
High tech, value and “fun” are what’s right for the kitchen this holiday season. That’s according to home furnishings expert and author (Furniture Hot Spots and Best Furniture Buying Tips Ever!) Jennifer Litwin, who says that if you’re looking for that perfect holiday gift, you should consider technologically-advanced appliances that are sleek, easy to use, cost-conscious, colorful and make a statement in the kitchen.
“Functionality is important this season, but the best appliances we are seeing are also colorful, lightweight, easy-to-use, and have state of the art technology,” she says. “Since the majority of women spend more time in the kitchen than anywhere else in the house, it should be a fun and colorful place to be.”
Litwin says the five most popular kitchen appliances this holiday season include: coffee makers, microwave ovens, toaster ovens, blenders and under counter TV/DVDs.
“Coffee makers now can do it all today,” she admits. “They grind and brew, make individual or multiple cups, carry their own filter systems and even allow you to convert the pot into a to-go mug!”
The newest coffee pots are featured in a variety of bold colors. The Philips’ Senseo Coffee Machine comes in three colors: cobalt blue, black and white. It is the only coffee maker that creates a unique “frothy coffee layer.” You can brew one or two cups and the price is about $70 at Target or Walmart, although the coffee pots used to make the coffee are an additional $22 each.
For a basic coffee maker that makes coffee that competes with models twice as expensive, she suggests the Braun Aromaster KF400, which is only $20 and can be purchased on line at Amazon.com and at eTronics. Also, popular now are the grind and brew, and thermal carafe coffee makers. For those who like espresso and cappuccino, more expensive models (the high-end ones can cost up to $3,000) exist that only brew one cup at a time.
Toaster ovens also are very popular right now. “The days of toasters are gone,” says Litwin. “Toaster ovens are so versatile, especially for families. They can brown, toast, warm and broil.”
Jennifer’s favorites are the Cuisinart TOB-175 1500 Watts toaster with convention cooking, which is a bit oversized, and the price, $158 reflects that. For someone who wants a more compact version, The Tefal Avante Elite toaster oven offers convection cooking and a crumb removal tray. It is much more reasonable at $85.
The Beyond Microwave Oven is the microwave with a brain. By using a special wand to scan the UPC code on the item, it automatically sets the proper cooking time and settings which appear in the LDC window. The price for this is $149 and it can be purchased Froggle.com and Smarthome.com.
Blenders come in all different shapes, sizes and colors,” explains Jennifer Litwin. “This is an individual decision for consumers depending on whether they need blenders for different kinds of foods, drinks and smoothies.”
The Braun MX2050 finishes ahead of every other blender. The Braun blender is especially good at crushing ice in small batches and blending smoothies with no hidden “icebergs” left behind. The heavy base won’t “walk” across the counter, and its carafe is designed to channel food into the blade assembly for even chopping. It retails for around $50 and can be purchased at Walmart and online at Amazon.com.
A contributing writer for Consumers Digest, magazines and television news programs around the country, Litwin is the nation’s leading expert in making sense of home furnishings. She is the author of Best Furniture Buying Tips Ever! (Random House), full of practical tips on how to get the best quality furniture without getting ripped off. With Litwin’s expert techniques, buyers can become well-educated, confident shoppers when purchasing furniture. Litwin is also the author of Furniture Hot Spots: The Best Furniture Stores and Websites Coast to Coast (Lyons Press), in which she uses her trademark “chair rating system” to rank over 500 furniture stores (a huge variety of stores) nationwide according to their price, personnel, ambience and quality. Litwin received her MBA from the University of Chicago.
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